Microsoft and British mobile network EE announced an expanded partnership today that will see the software giant commit to a 10-year deal to bring Xbox PC games to EE customers. It’s part of Microsoft’s series of cloud gaming deals, but this one is different and could hint at PC games coming to Xbox Cloud Gaming.
“Microsoft and EE are expanding our partnership with a 10-year commitment in cloud gaming to bring PC games built by Activision Blizzard, following the acquisition, and Xbox to EE customers,” says Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer in a tweet this morning. While Microsoft’s cloud gaming deals with Nvidia, Ubitus, and Boosteroid have all involved putting Xbox PC games on a rival cloud gaming service, EE doesn’t offer its own service.
EE is a mobile network operator in the UK that offers access to an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription through an add-on that customers can choose to add to their monthly mobile contract. It doesn’t operate its own cloud gaming service, nor has it announced any plans to do so.
I asked Microsoft to clarify Spencer’s partnership tweet, but the company said it doesn’t have anything else to share on its vague announcement. Likewise, I asked EE about the deal, and it didn’t comment on the fact it doesn’t operate its own cloud gaming service. “As part of our ambition to be the number one destination for gamers, we are naturally reviewing many exciting new areas for how we can evolve our customers gaming experiences with cloud gaming services being just one part of this,” says EE spokesperson James Auterson. “We have nothing further to announce on our future plans at the moment.”
It’s more likely that Microsoft is gearing up to add PC games to Xbox Cloud Gaming than EE is getting ready to launch an unannounced rival cloud gaming service. But we haven’t seen signs of Microsoft building out data centers that would be capable of running PC games in the cloud, even if the company has been openly testing mouse and keyboard support for Xbox Cloud Gaming. This support is limited to Xbox console games rather than PC ones, though.
Microsoft is keen for its Xbox PC games to reach players on cloud gaming services. The software maker struck a deal with Nvidia in February that saw Xbox PC games arrive on GeForce Now. If Microsoft’s Activision deal is approved, it will also bring Activision Blizzard’s games to Nvidia’s service.
Microsoft currently streams Xbox console games through Xbox Cloud Gaming using custom Xbox Series X-like hardware to power the experience. PC games on Xbox Cloud Gaming would require a different type of hardware investment, especially if Microsoft wants to match Nvidia’s impressive RTX 4080 cloud gaming platform.
With both Microsoft and EE refusing to comment, we’re left wondering about what the “PC games” part of this 10-year partnership actually means. The announcement comes just days after both Microsoft and Sony responded to the concerns of the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) around Microsoft’s proposed Activision Blizzard acquisition. Microsoft has been signing 10-year licensing deals to try and appease regulators in the UK and Europe, while Sony is concerned Microsoft could sabotage Call of Duty on PlayStation.
